Today, I was the only one who showed up for the morning class. Apparently, Abe-san is having Billy work as a trainer for the AACC, so it was just us three.

I wasn’t feeling so good, but I was determined not to show it. There are no excuses in MMA. It’s hard- that’s why it’s called ‘training.’

We did striking the whole time. Abe-san saw me struggling.

“Roxanne,” he said. “At first it takes our body a while to get used to it. But you got better by the end. You can do it. The same is true with anything you practice. Just keep doing it and doing it and you get better.”

“Hmmm,” I said. I used to believe that but you know, I still can’t do striking at the level I want.

Abe-san knows I think this way.

“It’s FUN when you can’t do something yet,” he said vehemently. “That means there’s more and more to learn. It’s exciting, right? ‘Oh! I still have so much more I can learn and have fun mastering!'”

“So the fact that I can’t do something, just means that I can’t do it yet, right?” I confirmed.

“Right!” He said. “What’s your nick name again?”
“The Happy Warrior,” I answered.
“That’s right, ‘the Happy Warrior.’ You know, when you have a ‘minus,’ it’s negative, right? It just needs one more line to make it a plus. That makes it a positive thing. So just change your way of thinking!”

Yes. I believe that one more line is attitude. Attitude can turn a negative situation into a positive situation. If you try hard enough.

I was just about to lament about my striking skills, how I can’t do it….but then realized that it’s exactly he’s talking about. I remember when I just started Judo, I wondered, “Gee, am I EVER going to stop feeling so clumsy and clueless on the ground? When am I going to know what I’m doing?”

Then it suddenly realized that I know what to do from most positions.

About striking at the level I want…I just can’t do it YET. I should be HAPPY that I can’t do it well. That means my life isn’t over, my efforts aren’t over. It’s true. If humans had everything they wanted, they’d be bored.